Adult Book Club: The Round House

Set on an Ojibwe reservation in North Dakota in 1988, Erdrich's 14th novel focuses on 13-year-old Joseph. After his mother is brutally raped yet refuses to speak about the experience, Joe must not only cope with her slow physical and mental recovery but also confront his own feelings of anger and helplessness. Questions of jurisdiction and treaty law complicate matters. Doubting that justice will be served, Joe enlists his friends to help investigate the crime. VERDICT Erdrich skillfully makes Joe's coming-of-age both universal and specific. Like many a teenage boy, he sneaks beer with his buddies, watches Star Trek: The Next Generation, and obsesses about sex. But the story is also ripe with detail about reservation life, and with her rich cast of characters, from Joe's alcoholic and sometimes violent uncle Whitey and his former-stripper girlfriend Sonja, to the ex-marine priest Father Travis and the gleefully lewd Grandma Thunder, Erdrich provides flavor, humor, and depth. Joe's relationship with his father, Bazil, a judge, has echoes of To Kill a Mockingbird, as Bazil explains to his son why he continues to seek justice despite roadblocks to prosecuting non-Indians. -Library Journal

This book discussion group meets once a month and is facilitated by Bud Werner Library's Circulation Services Manager, Michelle Dover. The book club is designed to be inclusive, supportive and meet the needs and interests of the group. The group is open to anyone interested in participating, but you are asked to sign up ahead of time. You need not attend all the discussions, just pick the ones that interest you!

Group is limited to 15 participants per meeting. Sign up! Sign up at the circulation desk, call 879-0240, or register by filling out the online registration form.